Two things make online networking successful: Technology and people – and they’re equally important.

Cutting edge technology makes networking sites attractive and easy to use.  And since content on these sites is user-generated, the sites need lots of people to participate in order to be successful.

Enter Web 2.0, the current generation of websites that perfectly fuses technology with the people that support it. Web 2.0 is an Internet revolution that takes websites beyond the static, non-interactive sites of the past and launches them into the web-based communities of the future.

The technologies associated with Web 2.0 make online networking possible because they increase sites’ Webability.  That means the sites are incredibly user-friendly and interactive. People feel more comfortable navigating, communicating, and finding the features they’re looking for.  They can actually contribute to the websites they enjoy so much.
Now that users can do more online than ever before – generate and maintain content, write their own profiles, upload and share videos and photos, instant message (IM) each other, join groups, read and participate in blogs, and join chat rooms – now that users can do all this, businesses have the perfect opportunity to jump in and network.

Here’s how to do that:  Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) combine functional interface design with the software applications necessary to reach users. The needs and goals of the client are paramount when creating web solutions. When it comes to online networking, everyone is a potential client.

There are many software tools that help create the sites that potential clients will use.  Adobe Flash – formerly known as Shockwave Flash and Macromedia Flash – is an application that helps create animation, allows for greater interactivity, and enhances design.  Keep in mind that some professionals argue that “design” in the wrong hands turns into a cluttered mess.  Still, the capability is there.
If we haven’t lost you yet, we’ll tell you about another tool that can make your website even better. AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) combines Javascript (a computer scripting language) and XMLs (Extensible Markup Language). Basically, this means that when you post new comments and photos, you don’t have to refresh your whole page.  Your computer will just update the new pieces.

Adobe Flex is a tool similar to AJAX, but its language consists of MXML (a tag-based language) and Actionscript 2.0 (the object-oriented language of Flash). While the capabilities of Adobe Flex and AJAX overlap, one difference is that Flex is used specifically for RIAs.  And AJAX increases functionality of web pages, so it is better for RWAs (Rich Web Applications).

One more tool that’s worth mentioning is OpenLaszlo.  It’s an open-source platform that allows companies to write their own code for their websites. Best of all, the websites will work regardless of whether the user browses with Firefox or Internet Explorer. You probably know that in the past, some websites were not always compatible with both browsers. With OpenLaszlo, software can be easily downloaded and updated, and that the source code is shared among users.

We know that we got a bit technical, but this information is really useful to creating your own interactive web pages – web pages that build business networks. If you just want to start networking on social or professional sites that are already established, all the behind-the-scenes work has been done for you.  Sign up and start making those connections.